Fresh insights - Mannheim knife assault: Warrant issued for assailant as officer's life is threatened.
A warrant was issued for the 25-year-old man who carried out a knife attack on an Islam-critical event by the Karlsruhe prosecutor's office and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Criminal Investigation Department on Saturday. The man stands accused of attempted murder, as several people were injured in the incident. The perpetrator has resided in Germany since 2014. He is married, has two children, and was most recently living in the town of Heppenheim in Hesse. Police searched his apartment on Friday evening, gathering electronic data carriers to evaluate. He has yet to be questioned by authorities.
The attack took place on the market square in Mannheim's city center on Friday morning, causing several injuries including a severe wound to a police officer who remains in an artificial coma. The attacker was surgically treated and is now unable to be questioned. The motive behind the attack remains unknown.
Of the five injured individuals, a 54-year-old has been released from the hospital but is still in serious condition, while the other four continue to receive medical care. The attacked man managed to leave the hospital briefly, while the other victims remain hospitalized.
One of the injured, BPE board member Michael Stuerzenberger, spoke from the hospital. "Yesterday, it was almost over for me," he wrote on Telegram. He had sustained several stab wounds with one affecting his thigh, causing "considerable blood loss." Another wound was in his face. The BPE treasurer Stefanie Kizina indicated that the attack was targeted at Stuerzenberger, a prominent figure in the association with headquarters in Krefeld.
A video of the incident was circulating online, showing the knife attack. Witnesses can be heard yelling "Take the knife away!" in the background. In a separate video available on the platform X, the sequence of events appears different from the official story. Instead of a police officer escorting a wounded man away from danger, a man in a blue jacket can be seen striking one of the viewers holding the attacker down. The officer then moves to subdue the man with a blue jacket, allowing the attacker to release himself and stab the policeman.
Despite the attack, the BPE plans to continue participating in public events. A stand is planned for the Dortmund city center on June 8th, with Kizina anticipating enhanced security measures.
No information is available regarding the motive. "Right now, what bothers us most is the question of the motive," said the State Criminal Office. No details have been disclosed regarding the man's identity. The origin of the weapon is also being investigated to determine if the man orchestrated the attack or if it was a sudden, unexpected assault.
Baden-Wuerttemberg's Interior Minister, Thomas Strobl, expressed his concern for the victims of the attack. "I hope the injured police officer pulls through," he said in an interview with the Bild newspaper. The villainous act has sent shockwaves throughout the country. At this time, neither Germany's Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, nor Chancellor Olaf Scholz have made public comments on the situation.
The BPE describes itself on its website as a "human rights organization" that "clarifies the nature and goals of political Islam." The association does not distinguish between Islam and Islamism, associating both with "aggressive contempt and intolerance." Stürzenberger, who is a political scientist, has formerly served as a press spokesman for the CSU in Munich. He later worked with the disbanded party Die Freiheit. The BPE's state branch in Bavaria, as well as Stuerzenberger, are monitored by the Bavarian Constitutional Protection Agency.
